A fruitful morning's work!

Yesterday it rained torrentially all day, so I was very frustrated at not being able to get out in the yard and DO stuff!! This gardening thing is very, very addictive!

I soothed my frustrations by doing more thrift store shopping, and some plant shopping, and planning what to do with what I found. It's supposed to rain this afternoon, so I hustled this morning to get everything done before more rain came.

Here's the start of my labors:


The basket that I was asking about:


By my front door on the deep, narrow porch leading to it. I found a shade succulent, which I planted in this thrift store box I found yesterday. I thought the rust color of the geese worked well with the green of the box and the red bricks. And that in the back is a bird house from the Dollar Store that seemed to just be made for that little ledge it's sitting on.


I paired that art nouveau vase that I posted about elsewhere with a couple of copper pots I found, used the old grate from our fireplace as a stand (we installed gas logs,) and added the blue container for a little additional color, and as a sort of place holder for another small copper or brass pot of some kind...when I find it.


I've used the coco fiber stuff in this planter for several years now, and it's worked well.


And a couple of other pots that will sit on my back deck.

 

Thanks toni. I'd really like to put that grouping elsewhere, so the backdrop for it isn't the red brick. It would pop a lot more if it were against green, for example. but I can't figure out anywhere else to put it where the growing conditions are right.

 

Ronni, that basket looks great. Did you go with the diaper trick?
Your front entrance looks so cute. Like those geese are saying "look what we have now"!
But I must admit... I totally love what you did with the grate, pots and stand. And the blue container just makes the whole set "pop"!
Just to be nosey... how did you finish up the stand? Did you plug it? Fill with gravel/sand? Put in a pot or tray? What all plants did you go with?
I have two of those fireplace grates. One just holds an old pot with a Cast Iron Plant. You've inspired me to rethink that and move it to a more prominent spot.
And you said you were new to this kinda stuff?? Doesn't look like it to me!
And now that you're here... there's some major enablers to feed your new addiction!
8)

 

Yes Ma'am, I did!

I think so too. I'm pleased with the way it all came together. That blue container was just to keep a place for something else there, but the more I've looked at the whole, the more I've liked it just as it is.

I filled it mostly full with tiny stones I found at Home Depot...I don't know what they're called, but they're very small and grainy. I wanted the added weight to lower the center of gravity somewhat because it's top heavy. Even that didn't steady it much, but placing it where I did with the grate, there's a leaf feature on the stem of the vase that makes a perfect opening between it and the the stem, to slide one of the tines of the grate through. So between that, and it touching the wall behind it, I don't think it's going anywhere!

I made a half and half mixture of perlite and potting soil, which is what google told me was a good mix for succulents. In the vase, I planted a couple different varieties of Sedum~~Little Missy and a Sedum hybrid called Aurora blue, then something called Echeveria Nodulosa. In the box on the porch is ..... hang on, I can't even pronounce this!! ...... Graptopetalum Paraguayense (Superbum) whatever all that means. It's a part sun or shade succulent which is perfect for the front porch because the sun doesn't reach to the door.

You're very kind. :-D I AM new to gardening. But I have a decent eye for color and texture matches and compliments, and enjoy decorating and artsy stuff, so putting everything together in decent groupings so the colors and materials and such all work isn't difficult for me. It's the planting part of that I have trouble with. What will grow faster vs slower? Will this do OK in the sun? How far will that spread? Will I choke the roots if I put it in here? How do I keep that moist? So many questions! And because I don't know plants very well, other than the ones I'm used to using as houseplants and in a the couple containers I'd plant every year, I don't have any kind of working knowledge of them. I can't THINK with what to use where, so I have to spend hours researching. You guys know all that already, and can think with it without effort.

And yes, I'm very well aware that I'm surrounded by enablers here. While that SHOULD cause me anxiety because I'm already so bad, all it actually does is make me giddily happy and enthused!

 

Hi Ronni,..i agree you have an eye for plants in pots and grates,..VERY well finished including the stand,.. well done,..as everyone asked you a question about what you did i must add my two cents,..hope you made drainage holes in the pots .

Philip

 

Philip, I didn't. :'(

It was one of those dang "senior moments" that I have every so often! I knew to, that it was going to be necessary, and I'd planned to get my Lee my housemate, or one of my sons, to drill holes in the bottom of those two pots before I planted anything. And then, somehow, I just.......forgot.

I've asked my son if he'll take a look and see if there's any way he can drill from the bottom up with everything still intact, so I don't have to un-plant everything. Because he's going to be drilling through metal, he's not sure he'll be able to apply enough pressure that way. But he's willing to try, so that's the best I can do.

And yes, I am KICKING myself!!!

 

Been there... done that.
If you have to redo the pots, no big deal. The plants won't have to be "out" but for a few minutes. Plus you have photos to recreate them. But yes... you're definintely going to want those holes soon.

 

Hi Ronni,..its easy to forget those drainage holes,.. in particular as you were focused on keeping the soil moist,..not to worry your son should manage to drill a few holes from underneath even though the pots are full.

Well at least you discovered your slip before the pots and containers filled with water,..so nothing lost.